The Quiet Diplomat
This Tuesday, I'll be speaking at a LinkedIn Live event. Beforehand, I wanted offer a preview of the topic we'll be discussing—a man whose legacy and practical lessons are featured in my book
A six-year-old boy looks up as he hears distant gunfire, signaling the approaching enemy with death and destruction in tow.
His parents conceal their fear, maintaining a semblance of normalcy until the war intensifies. With barely any belongings in hand, the boy, his younger brother, his father, and his nine-month-pregnant mother join the mass exodus from the city. Amid terror and excruciating pain, the boy’s mother gives birth to a baby sister on the roadside. There is no time to recover; without a moment to lose, the family presses forward again. They soon reach their grandparents’ house at a forest’s edge to wait out the conflict. They look on in fear as bombs rain down on distant towns and villages.
Months go by. A coalition of countries united under one organization’s flag intervenes, ending the conflict and bringing aid, food, and even school materials. The boy sees the organization’s flag soar- ing high on a building—a “blue and white flag, with a globe cradled by the olive branches of peace,” symbolizing safety and hope. Devouring the schoolbooks provided, the boy reads a message on their last page,“This textbook was printed with generous assistance from the UN.”
The UN’s operations rescued the boy’s country, paving the way for him and his fellow students to rebuild their lives in improvised classrooms. Decades later, South Korea, once completely ravaged by war, stands as one of the world’s wealthiest economies—a testament to the transformative power of the UN.
As the boy had sat in those make-shift classrooms, he knew he would one day repay the favor. More than 70 years later, Ban Ki-moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, reflects that global solidarity “saved my country, and I believe it can save our world.”*
Mark your calendars for this Tuesday, April 2nd at 15 hrs CET / 10 hrs EST! I'll be discussing my upcoming book "From Ideas to Impact" with Monika Froehler, CEO of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. Please spread the word, and be sure to register here. Here is a quick overview of why I’m excited to talk about former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and what practical insights we can learn from his legacy.
In my book, I highlight how Ban embodies a powerful example of policy entrepreneurship in action. Despite his quiet demeanor, Ban defies traditional stereotypes of what constitutes an effective and persuasive leader. Those who worked with him or know him well can attest that behind closed doors, Ban was one of the most effective operators, negotiators, and skilled diplomats they encountered. As one colleague of mine who worked at the UN when Ban was at the helm, aptly described the man:
"While publicly Ban appeared quiet and very respectful, avoiding confrontation, behind the scenes, he was surprisingly direct and unafraid to advocate for what he believed was right. This element of surprise—with his audiences expecting timidity but encountering determination (or “expecting shyness but getting a dragon”)—consistently worked in his favor."
I've had the privilege of knowing Ban Ki-moon for over a decade. Our first meeting occurred at the 2013 Global Citizen Festival. I vividly remember welcoming Ban at the northern edge of New York’s Central Park. As we made our way backstage, Ban realized I was Australian and immediately engaged in a discussion about the recent Australian federal election that had just occurred the weekend before. This election had resulted in Tony Abbott's centre-right coalition coming to power, marking the end of the more multilateralist Rudd-Gillard government's six-year tenure. Ban did not hesitate to express his opinion on Abbott, telling me, "Him and I do not share the same view of the world… it is very disappointing."
Just moments after our conversation, we found ourselves backstage as Stevie Wonder prepared to introduce Ban Ki-moon to the stage. I vividly recall Stevie Wonder's eloquent and heartfelt introduction:
"My friends, there are rock stars, and there are rock stars," Wonder began, captivating the audience. "And I can assure you that the secretary general is a genuine rock star. He's a rock star in his quest to bring hope to the hopeless, consensus where there's conflict, and peace and rights to those who suffer from hatred and despair."
The crowd erupted in applause, a reception truly befitting a rock star. In response, Ban graciously thanked Wonder for his role as a UN Messenger of Peace. He then addressed the crowd, energized by the moment:
“There is so much energy here tonight. We can power the world… Remember: The UN starts with “U.”
Since Ban Ki-moon concluded his tenure, I've had the privilege of serving on the board of his Centre for Global Citizens, alongside the former President of Austria, Heinz Fischer (who will join this week’s Linkedin live discussion!). This role has granted me unique insights, as I've had the opportunity to hear firsthand encounters and anecdotes from Ban's time in office directly from the man himself often over lunch or dinner.
Some of these stories are elaborated upon in Ban’s memoirs, Resolved, while others were entirely new to me. Additionally, there are numerous accounts of Ban's leadership from external perspectives. In his own memoirs, A Promised Land, former US President Barack Obama highlights one of Ban's key strengths: his unwavering persistence. Obama humorously describes Ban's approach as akin to the "nerdy kid who’s too nice to reject." Nevertheless, this approach proved effective, as Obama credits Ban with persuading him to attend a pivotal climate summit in 2009 and to make a financial commitment crucial to later securing the consensus that led to the Paris Agreement.
Of course, as someone who has recently written a book myself, I understand the pressure of word limits, which often results in significant material being left on the cutting room floor. I'm sure there are many untold stories, insights and lessons yet to be revealed - including in Ban’s own memoirs.
That's why I'm thrilled to share that a new documentary about Ban's life as Secretary-General recently premiered at the 'Cinema for Peace' under the title 'The Quiet Diplomat.' It's a film worth watching once made available more broadly. According to the filmmakers at Bright Leaf Pictures Production:
“This documentary film is larger than the transformational arc of a single man’s life: his life offers a time capsule of a period in history marked by a brutal clash between multi-national and unilateralist approaches to governing — and an opportunity to question the value of the United Nations today.”
The filmmakers are now seeking modest funds to show screenings of the film later this year to coincide with SG Ban’s 80th birthday. Email me if you have any ideas.
In my book, I dedicate an entire chapter to how the United Nations, despite facing significant criticism (particularly in recent times), has successfully navigated through gridlock and division to foster progress, notably for example in the realm of corporate climate action.
Specifically, I also discuss the pivotal role Ban Ki-moon played as Secretary-General in championing two landmark agreements that stand as a testament to his legacy:
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which represents a global pledge to limit temperature rises to below 2 degrees Celsius—and ideally to 1.5 degrees—to avert climate disaster.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a broad framework of 17 goals aimed at addressing poverty, inequality, hunger, and public health issues. This includes a groundbreaking, unanimous agreement to eradicate extreme poverty by the year 2030.
While these agreements may seem inevitable in retrospect, their success was far from guaranteed. A significant factor behind their achievement was Ban and his advisors' mastery of timing. You’ll have to wait for the book to learn more on how they accomplished this!
In the meantime, be sure to join us this Tuesday, April 2nd at 15 hrs CET / 10 hrs EST for what will be a great Linkedin Live discussion. Please spread the word, and be sure to register here.
Before I conclude, here's an (incomplete) list of UN achievements. Originally intended for inclusion in my book, it had to be cut during the editing process for brevity's sake.
United Nations Achievements
Beneath the prevailing narrative, the UN stands as an enduring example of an idea implemented even in a divided world, while also serving as a reminder that implementation often involves taking two steps forward and one step back. Progress is never guaranteed; it must be continually earned, safeguarded, and sustained. The UN and its associated institutions, like all efforts to foster solidarity, will always be a work in progress.
The impact of the UN and its sister institutions in their almost 80-year existence have given us much to be grateful for, notwithstanding its deep flaws and imperfections (particularly in terms of representation):
Through maintaining the membership of all of the world’s major powers, it has played a pivotal role (thus far!) in averting a third world war and/or a nuclear holocaust between them (though we have come way too close for comfort on several occasions, especially at the moment - a legacy we must protect!).
It has been instrumental in ensuring billions of people live safer, longer, and more dignified lives. For example, the UN's efforts have resulted in an impressive 85% of the world's children being vaccinated and protected from debilitating diseases.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about 160 million people in 2022, a historic high. This followed a bipartisan Congress approving the single largest amount of supplemental funding for a global hunger emergency in U.S. history. In 2020, the WFP under the leadership of former Republican Governor of South Carolina, David Beasley, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, a landmark international agreement established in 1987, has played a critical role in safeguarding the Earth's ozone layer. With global cooperation, ozone-depleting emissions have significantly reduced by 100%—a remarkable achievement in the realm of environmental protection.
Source: UNEP, 2021
It has improved the conditions of workers around the world. For example, the International Labour Organization, which goes all the way back to World War I, is responsible for many of the reforms like the eight-hour working day we take for granted in many countries today.
It has turned self-determination, a pivotal founding principle of the UN, into reality. In 1945, nearly one-third of the world's population, 750 million people, lived under colonial rule. Today, just 2 million reside in the last 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories. Decolonization, as mandated by the UN charter, has led to independence for many nations, albeit often through tumultuous processes.
These examples of concrete impact across peace, health, hunger, environment, labor, and self-determination in the face of adversity highlight the enduring legacy of the UN system, which emerged from the ashes of World War II. Richard Gowan, a longtime UN watcher with the International Crisis Group (ICG), aptly compares global cooperation to Wi-Fi. Forms of international collaboration that once seemed remarkable four to five decades ago are now as ubiquitous and essential as Wi-Fi in our daily lives. The refrain in UN circles is that if the UN were abolished today, it would need to be recreated the very next day, given its indispensable role in our everyday lives.
Contrary to the prevailing negative narrative that often surrounds the UN's alleged ineffectiveness, especially in light of current events like Russia's war in Ukraine and the horrific death toll in Gaza, one could argue the opposite. The UN, imperfect as it may be and facing ongoing challenges today, remains an indispensable institution, guarding against our descent into chaos.